Stalled Sh40M Nandi Library Sparks Legal Battle Involving Ex-KenGen Chair’s Family
Court documents reveal that a parcel of land valued at over Sh10 million was acquired in Saniak village, Mosop sub-county, with the intent to build the library.
The stalled Sh40 million community library project, located on a 10-acre parcel of land in Nandi County. / Image: Courtesy
A high-stakes legal battle is unfolding at the Kapsabet Law Courts, where former Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) board chair Joshua Kibet Choge, along with members of his family, are entangled in a lawsuit over a stalled Sh40 million community library project in Nandi County.
The dispute centers around a failed partnership between the Choge family and Kanken Connect Inc., a charitable organization registered in Kenya and founded by Ms. Tifanny Ninemire—an in-law to the Choge family. The NGO had committed to funding the construction of a library intended to serve learners across Nandi County.
According to court documents filed by Kanken Connect’s lawyer, Chepkirui Koech, the NGO alleges breach of contract after disbursing Sh13.3 million for initial construction works. The project came to a halt after irregularities were allegedly discovered, including unauthorized structural changes and questionable financial demands.
“My client trusted the current directors of the interested party since the founder of Kanken Connect is an in-law to the directors of the foundation,” argued Koech in court filings.
Central to the lawsuit is Jordan Choge, son of the former KenGen chair, who is accused of mismanaging project funds and altering approved architectural plans without proper authorization. The suit also names Leah and Moss Company Ltd—allegedly involved in the construction—and lists Kenken Connect Literacy Foundation as an interested party.
Court documents reveal that a parcel of land valued at over Sh10 million was acquired in Saniak village, Mosop sub-county, with the intent to build the library. Tifanny Ninemire, then based in the U.S., was advised by Caleb Choge to pay the architect in two tranches totaling $21,000 (approximately Sh3 million), ostensibly to avoid U.S. government scrutiny over large international wire transfers.
Koech further states that a Bill of Quantities worth Sh26.7 million was drawn, forming the basis of a formal construction contract signed on September 11, 2023. However, the NGO claims that less than Sh7.4 million worth of actual work was done, despite Sh13.3 million having been disbursed.
“Despite complaints by my clients, the defendants went ahead to demand an extra Sh4.8 million without a valid contractual addendum, thus violating standard construction procedures,” Koech added.
An independent structural engineer later found that the incomplete structure was not structurally sound, prompting the NGO to seek a court injunction stopping further construction and demanding a refund of Sh6 million along with general damages for breach of contract.
In response, Jordan Choge has denied the allegations, calling them “baseless, misleading, and dishonest.” Through his legal team, Aniya & Co. Advocates, Jordan claims there was no binding agreement between him and the NGO, arguing that any extra work was undertaken at the instruction of Ms. Ninemire.
“There is no valid contract between myself and the plaintiff, and therefore I was under no obligation to engage or manage the architect,” he states in his court filings.
Leah and Moss Company Ltd has also denied wrongdoing, asserting that it followed all contract terms and that the additional payment demands were directly tied to extra work commissioned by the donor.
The court has yet to set a hearing date as the legal standoff continues to draw public interest due to the high-profile names and significant sums involved.
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